The police arrest a murderer linked to an organized retail theft ring, but their case is put at risk when an error by ADA Maroun is discovered.
- Artistic License – Law: Used in-universe. Gwynn believes that, because nobody detains shoplifters anymore, that theft is now legal. The police point out that just because a criminal isn't immediately arrested, that doesn't make his crime legal.
- Current bail standards apply likelihood to commit more crimes, as well as dangerous crimes. If Castillo had failed to appear to court cases a bench warrant would be in place for his imprisonment and would have been remanded pending trial. Furthermore, pending charges that were applied to him would have been put into place prior to the enactment of bail reform measures, and would have been held under the previous standard.
- Bittersweet Ending: Castillo is convicted, but Maroun is tormented by the knowledge she could have prevented Wyatt's death if she hadn't made a mistake the previous time she prosecuted Castillo.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: Despite his extensive list of past crimes, Castillo has never been charged or jailed for any of them: they were either misdemeanors, he was never caught, or (in at least one case) got off on a technicality. He's finally convicted of Perry Sutton's murder and jailed.
- List of Transgressions: Castillo has a very long rap sheet stretching to hundreds of past offences.
- Malcolm Xerox: Wells's lawyer Wallace acts this way when confronting the police, saying that his client is being persecuted for being black. Dixon just throws him out of her office.
- Off on a Technicality: Castillo evaded justice during one of his many prior crimes because Maroun didn't dig into the case enough to realize that Castillo had been armed. She thus under-charged him and he was let free without bail.
- Ripped from the Headlines: The case is based on the 'bail reform' laws passed by New York and other jurisdictions as well as the organized retail-theft rings which developed in their wake.
- That Was Objectionable: Vega attempts to bury the prosecution in a series of frivolous and obnoxious objections. Most are quickly rejected by the judge.
- You Didn't Ask: Maroun asks Castillo's previous victim why she didn't mention that Castillo was armed. The victim replies that she was never asked - Maroun didn't call her back (due to being very busy and unable to get a translator.)
